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Times of Great Magic
What follows are some brief descriptions of some of the more cataclysmic Storms of Magic to beset the mortal world. Dates for these events use the Imperial Calendar. Timeline *c.-5600 -- ''The Great Catastrophe''. The polar gateways, made by the Old Ones for star travel, collapse, and the greatest magical storm ever known rages. The world is nearly sucked in its entirety into the Realm of Chaos. With great sacrifice, the Slann Mage-Priests, the most powerful wizards in the world, stabilise the planet but cannot halt the storm that envelops it. Many monsters are transformed by the great influx of Chaos into the world. *-4500 to -4420 -- The world teeters on ultimate destruction as Daemonic forces overrun the world. Aenarion, the first Phoenix King, leads the Elves of Ulthuan in the defense of their island and allows time for the casting of the Great Vortex, a magical spell of titanic proportions that drains the eldritch storm and robs the Daemons of the energies they need to stay upon the mortal world. *-2750 -- The Great Maw. A vast comet strikes west of Cathay. Its impact destroys the majority of the Ogres and scorches the fertile plains. The resulting magical flux unleashes many storms. *-2749 to -2723 -- The Sundering. Malekith, the Witch King, interferes with the Great Vortex. As a result, titanic energies are once more released, and for a time Daemons freely stalk the world. *-2199 -- The Battle of the Blighted Isle. The Blighted Isle, dread home of the Altar of Khaine, changes hands many times after the Sundering. So many fall during the climactic battle at the foot of the Altar that a blood-storm rages, swirling the Winds of Magic. Both armies bind beasts to join the fray so while Elf fights Elf, noble Dragons are pulled from the skies by packs of Manticores. High Elf Mages seal a victory by dropping the very hills upon their kindred. Great Phoenixes of living flame scour the dead as the High Elves reclaim the Blighted Isle. *-1780 -- Morrslieb flares. Witchfire lights the heavens and green-tailed meteors fall from the skies. A storm of black rain centres over the city of Kavzar, pouring down its strange fury. Soon the once-great city is naught but ruins sinking into a rising swamp, the only survivors are a verminous horde of rats that scurry in search of food. *-1500 -- The Time of Mad Stars. A great wave of magical energy begins over a vast Black Pyramid in Khemri. It sweeps over the lands, and the stars swirl and change position. In Lustria, the Slann Mage-Priests sense a moment of ultimate power. Seizing the opportunity of the star alignment, Lord Quex casts a mighty spell that realigns continents and more firmly connects the magical leylines that can be used to protect the world from the ravages of such storms in the future. The sudden influx of magic (not to mention the shifting tectonic plates) causes the Great Machine of the Seer Order in Skavenblight to malfunction and explode. The resulting counter wave releases yet more magical energy and unwittingly alters the perfection of Lord Quex's spell. Magical shockwaves from both Lustria and Skavenblight crash into the Worlds Edge Mountains. Many earthquakes and unnatural disasters beset the Dwarfs' Karaz Ankor. *c.-1151 -- The Black Year. In the wake of Nagash's Great Ritual, many magical storms erupt over the world. Black cyclones descend from roiling clouds and the skull-like visage of death itself is seen stalking the lands. *-666 -- ''Wars of the Green Moon''. The moon Morrslieb hovers low for a full month and waves of madness wash over the world. The disparate followers of Chaos, both mortal and daemonic, battle for control of the arcane tempests that spin wildly across the Northern Wastes. No power gains ascendancy, but the previous seven year domination of Khorne is, at last, ended. This was probably Tzeentch's plan all along. *1 -- A Mighty Gift. Alaric the Mad, one of the greatest of all Dwarf Runesmiths, captures the last eddies of a magical storm. Through potent runes, Alaric binds those vast energies into molten metal and begins to make the twelve Runefangs, the magical swords gifted to the Empire by the Dwarfs. *c.328 -- A maelstrom of magic swirls about the Dark Lands for the better part of a year. The power of the storm unearths long-buried ruins, causing volcanoes to grow from the ashen plains and loose a hail of warpstone upon the lands. Armies of Skaven, Orcs and Goblins, Ogres, Chaos Dwarfs and more clash many times as they attempt to capture the rampant energy. *570 -- The Disappearance of Kurak Peak. While mining deep in the northern reaches of the Worlds Edge Mountains, the Dwarfs unknowingly unearthed a large piece of what had once been the interdimensional portal that allowed the Old Ones to travel great distances. Still imbued with great power, the twisted metal is somehow reactivated and the resulting storm attracts the attention of Night Goblin Shamans who wish to use the eldritch energy to further their own causes. Night Goblin hordes, accompanied by vast Squigs and other monsters of the deep underground, attack the Dwarfhold. During the course of the ensuing battle, the entire mountain peak is transported into the Realm of Chaos. Neither the Dwarfs of the Kurak Peak nor their foes are ever heard from again, although visions of candles being snuffed out by a maelstrom of blackness visit all who travel atop the strange glassy black plateau that marks the site of the old mountain peak. *800 -- Altar of Ultimate Darkness. The Daemon Tz'arkan leads an unholy host that captures the Altar of Darkness in the north of Naggaroth. Using the power generated by the Altar, the Daemons build a bridge between the Realm of Chaos and the Ironfrost Glacier. Once a gaping hole in reality has been torn, a flood of chaotic energy crashes into the mortal world creating a swirling maelstrom of arcane might. Dark Elf Sorceresses bind entire armies of monsters in an effort to retake the Altar. Phalanxes of Hydras and many Manticores spearhead an assault against the Daemons. The ongoing war lasts for nearly two decades of unremitting battles before the Dark Elves are at last able to retake the Altar and end the storm. *1113 -- Battle of the Plague Dragons. The Skaven, swollen with the victories brought on by the release of the Black Plague, attempt to invade Sylvania. With three-quarters of the Empire's population already slain, the vast release of pestilent energies churn the Winds of Magic and cause fitful storms across the Old World - one of which breaks just as the Skaven army meets the Undead horde raised by the Necromancer Vanhal. While a wall of newly risen plague victims holds the tide of ratmen in place, the Necromancer taps into the boundless power to summon a horde of Zombie Dragons. When dozens of Undead monsters descend upon the Skaven, the ratmen break and run. For years afterwards, the ratmen fear to enter the lands of Sylvania. *1283 -- ''Averheim Besieged''. A black storm grows over the Empire city of Averheim. Even as a funnel of multi-coloured energy descends from the skies the city is surrounded by a host of Lizardmen and enormous reptilian monsters. Empire soldiers hold off the attack along the walls until the clouds disappear and the Winds of Magic die down. The Lizardmen end their assault and mysteriously fade away. *1452 -- The Desert of Blood. During the climactic ''Battle of El Haikk'', Sultan Jaffar of Araby makes a desperate pact with Kairos Fateweaver and unleashes a tumult of terror upon the battlefield. As the host of Knights Errant meets the Sultan's forces, the skies rain blood, living whirlwinds of sand emerge to wreak havoc and vast daemonic pylons thrust out of the writhing dunes. Yet the Sultan's plans go awry, and he is overthrown when his Daemonic legions suddenly withdraw. *2000 -- A comet smites the city of Mordheim and shrouds its ruins in a roiling cloud of magic. An eldritch storm hangs over the crater for years, allowing Daemons and monsters to stalk the blasted remnants. Since those days, it has become known as the City of the Damned. *2150 -- Amidst the jungle ruins of the Southlands, Savage Orcs unwittingly open a rift to the Realm of Chaos. Daemons pour forth to do battle. In the midst of the battle, the Savage Orcs are surprised when a third army, made of Lizardmen and giant reptilian monsters, emerges from the jungle and joins the fray. Unsure of what to do and not liking the look of either opposing army, the Greenskins slaughter everyone. Using whatever materials they can find, the Greenskins erect a giant green idol of Gork atop the arcane ruins. This seals the breach and still stands today. *2302-2304 -- ''Great War Against Chaos''. So large is the army that marches out of the north under the command of Asavar Kul that its power alone opens a rift between worlds. Until their final defeat at the gates of Kislev, the Chaos legions make a self-sustaining hole that unleashes pure pandemonium. It powers vast spells of destruction, summons great hordes of Daemons and ensures the army leaves only shattered ruins and madness in its wake. The devastation of Praag is an example of this, as the razed city is transformed into a hellish nightmare, where the victims melt into the walls and their imprisoned souls cry out from the twisting torture. Limbs write out from the pavement and living stone gargoyles hunt the ruble-strewn streets. *2424 -- Battle of Tor Yvresse. Grom the Paunch of Misty Mountain, the largest and most powerful Goblin Warboss of all time, launches an invasion of Ulthuan. Many of the protective waystones that aid the Great Vortex in siphoning magical energy away from the world are destroyed, unleashing a typhoon of arcane power. As the Goblins and High Elves clash amidst the ancient Elven city of Tor Yvresse, the magics holding the island together begin to unbind. Timely intervention by the Elven hero Eltharion, his veteran warriors and many bound Great Eagles and Griffons turn the tide. Eltharion beheads the Shaman Blacktoof at the last moment before the magically charged Goblin can climb the final waystone and unleash his great spell of cataclysmic doom. *2518 -- The Mists of Death. A Dark Elf fleet uses the cover of unnaturally thick mists to land upon Bretonnia. As Dark Elf raiders scout the seaside towns for riches and slaves, an army of knights masses and attacks the invaders. The mysterious fog grows tendrils and assails both armies as a full arcane storm erupts. Dark Elves with their host of bound monsters are winning until the Fay Enchantress arrives, banishing the fog with a blindly powerful spell before draining the Winds of Magic. Only a few Dark Elves escape back to their ships. *2522 -- Portents of doom and great glory abound as never before, while zealots preach that the end is nigh. Thunderheads of unnatural size, shape and colour are seen masing on the horizons of many lands. Armies mass in preparation, ready to seize the power of any storms that arise... Source * : Storm of Magic (supplement) ** : pg. 20 ** : pg. 21 Category:Timelines Category:Magic Category:G Category:M Category:T